Donations for the Oso landslide victims continue to pour in…food, blankets, or money. But in Arlington, Wash., some residents are also collecting unusual donations.
Outside the Food Pavilion store on Haller Avenue, 15-year Seth Olson is waving a sign for donations. He and his fellow scouts are collecting for displaced families.
“Food, money, supplies, stuff that people need up there that they’re really asking for."
Olson says their scoutmaster gets a daily list of requests with specific things like Saran Wrap, and foil -- typical stuff.
But now the list includes non-traditional items. Seth’s mom, Jodonna Olson, says a lot of them are tools to help volunteers…
“You even heard today at school, they’re needing more chainsaws, chainsaw oil.”
In fact, Jodonna Olson is about to meet her friend who helped find metal probes to give to volunteers who are helping in the rescue effort…
“Probes...that you stick in the ground to see if there’s things underneath,” she explains.
They weren’t easy to find. Her friend Lisa Vaughn found a local business who would make 20 of them on a quick turnaround.
“They’re donating all the materials and time," says Vaughn. "They drove up to Bellingham to get the parts.
Olson and Vaughn say they appreciate how people have been generous.
Volunteers can still use certain things like boots, rain gear, hip waders as the rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network